By TN Ashok / Diplomatic Editor
New Delhi, Jan 21 : US President Barack Obama’s 2nd visit to India , soon after his state of the union address spelling his achievements on the economic front, will help reenergise and redefine the Indo US relations at the political, diplomatic and economic spheres.
Newly appointed US Ambassador to India Richard Verma is full of optimism about Obam’s 2nd coming to India, never done before by any US President in his term, as he claims it will usher in a “new era” in India US partnership. While speaking at an event organised by think-tank Brookings India in New Delhi, Mr. Verma had said, “We will have our differences, and setbacks. Good friends always do. It is important to keep lines of communication open and not lose sight of the big picture and the democratic values we share.”
Richard Verma’s optimism reflects the general sentiments in the USA about India to which it now turns after China where the economy has overheated and it has shown the worst ever GDP at just about 7% in two decades. Obama’s first visit led to flurry of activities. Much progress has been achieved in in defence relations.
U.S. defence sales to India now tops with US $10 billion toppling the traditional arms and weapons supplier to India, Russia. ilateral trade has grown more than five times over US $100 billion in the past decade. “We believe there is no reason it can’t grow another five-fold, to $500 billion by 2020, ” says Richard Verna.
Some areas, where diplomats say, breakthroughs can be expected during the U.S. President’s visit from January 25-28, are in the areas of defence co-production deals under the DTTI (Defence Trade and Technological Initiative), renewable energy deals under PACE (Partnership to Advance Clean Energy), and a commitment to cut India’s carbon emissions by 25% from 2005 levels. China and USA have already reached a historic deal in this regard some time ago.
Areas of concern include the logjam on the nuclear deal. President Obama and PM Modi, diplomatic sources say, would try to defuse tensions and uncertainties arising from the civilian nuclear deal. Says Verma, according to media reports, “ We continue to be hopeful of implementing the civil nuclear agreement to fulfil the PM’s goal of providing electricity to all Indians by 2020. “
Here is a peak at US President Barack Obama’s tentative schedule which is likely to be made official shortly.
Obama reaches New Delhi in the early hours of January 25 and will inspect a full guard of honour in the forecourt of Rashtrapathy Bhavan following it up with a visit to Rajghat in the morning to pay respects to Mahathma Gandhi, father of the nation.
Obama will reach the stately Hyderabad house in the capital for a summit meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both leaders are expected to issue a press statement in the afternoon. Obama is expected to address the India – US CEO forum the same day under the auspices of the CII.
On January 26, Obama will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade, which is both a spectacular depiction of India’s military might and its cultural diversity at Rajpath till noon. Obama and Modi are to jointly interact with CEOs from both sides in the evening.
The US President is also to attend the ‘At Home’ program at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in the evening. A Private dinner with PM follows at his official residence of 7, RCR.
On January 27, Obama is to address the Town Hall meeting at Siri Fort. He is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal the same afternoon before departing for the USA in the evening.
Union Minister of State with Independent charge for Power Piyush yush Goyal will be the ‘Minister in Waiting’ for Barack Obama during the visit from Jan 25-27. He will receive Obama at the airport when the US President arrives in India. He will also be at the airport to see him off when his ‘Air Force One’ departs and accompany him in all his meetings & visits.
This will be Barack Obama’s second visit to India as the US President and during his first visit in November, 2010 it was the then external affairs minister Salam Khurshid who did the honours as the protocol minister.
Security at its tightest for Obama Visit
A blanket of security has been thrown over the Indian capital by all security agencies for the US President Barack Obama’s three day visit beginning Jan 25. A seven-layer security ring will be thrown around the VVIP enclosure on Rajpath for the Republic Day parade, where Obama will be chief guest, and the airspace over the area would be monitored by a radar to be specially set up.
This is expected to be part of the ground-to-air security drill during Obama visit, which will takes him to Agra for seeing the Taj Mahal. “All security arrangements are in place. There will be no problem anywhere,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said.
A multiagency control room will monitor the surveillance operations in every area of the national capital which has been put on the highest alert because of the visit of the US President, media reports say.
BSF, which comes under the Home Ministry, has stepped up security along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, deploying close to 1,200 additional personnel there in view of the US President’s visit to India.